Latest news with #EthicsBoard
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ethics probe into Wichita mayor moves forward
WICHITA, Kan. (KSNW) — The city's Ethics Board met Thursday to discuss ethics complaints filed against Wichita Mayor Lily Wu. No action was taken, but the investigation phase is now complete. The executive session on Thursday night lasted for 90 minutes. The city's ethics officer says the case is not cut and dry. Ambulance procession honors fallen Butler County paramedic Over the last few weeks, the board's investigator questioned witnesses, including staff members and elected officials. Last month, seven complaints were presented to the ethics board, Wichita's Ethics Officer Kathy Sexton says. More were filed since then, and now there are 22 different complainants. Sexton says it is not as simple as just telling the board an elected official did something they did not like. 'It's one thing to say that an elected official does something you don't like, but it's a whole other thing to be able to say, is there evidence of wrongdoing and intent and does it meet the letter of the law, so to speak, and that's why this board has so much work to do,' said Sexton. Sexton says there are a total of six provisions in the code of ethics that were allegedly violated. A meeting is tentatively set for Thursday, June 12, when the board is expected to make a decision. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Ethics Board member resigns, accepts vacant City Council seat
London City Council appointed a new council member at a brief special-called meeting Friday morning. In light of former councilperson Holly Little's resignation earlier this month, the council selected Jim Baker to fill the vacant seat. The motion to nominate Baker came from Council Member Justin Young. "He's been a lifelong resident and currently [serves] on the Ethics Board," said Young. Council Member Anthony Ortega seconded the motion, which councilpersons Kelly Greene, Stacy Benge, and Judd Weaver also supported. Baker turned his Ethics Board resignation in to Mayor Randall Weddle following the council's unanimous vote. The resignation was effective Friday. The former Ethics Board member will be sworn in by Laurel Circuit Judge Gregory A. Lay Tuesday. Although a first reading of Ordnance 2025-08 — a budget ordinance for the upcoming fiscal year — was on the agenda, Council Member Greene made a motion to table the matter. Greene's motion was seconded by Council Member Young and received majority support. Acting City Clerk Ashley Taylor then conducted the second reading of Ordinance 2025-07. The ordinance rezones property owned by Todd and Diana Lee White from Residential R1 to Commercial C2. Weaver made a motion to approve the ordinance, seconded by Greene. The motion passed, followed by another to adjourn. London City Council will meet in special session again next week, at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, May 22, to discuss the tabled budget ordinance.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Councilman Olney loses suit challenging Watertown Ethics Board decision
May 10—WATERTOWN — City Councilman Cliff G. Olney has lost his court case that challenged the city's Ethics Board that ruled he should be removed from office for violating the city's code of ethics. In a court decision on Friday, Supreme Court Judge James P. McClusky dismissed the lawsuit, citing that Olney's due process was not violated. In February, Olney's attorney, Stewart Weisman, an attorney with the Syracuse law firm of Centolella Law, filed court papers "to put an end to Defendants' continuous and systematic violations of the due process" after the Ethics Board ruled that Olney engaged in alleged unethical conduct. But McClusky ruled that the Ethics Board's opinion to remove Olney from office was not binding and did not make a final decision, so it did not impact his status of a council member. "This court has nothing to review as the issue is not ripe," according to McClusky's ruling. The judge also disagreed with Olney's claim that the Ethics Board was improperly comprised because when it met, only four members were involved in the ethics complaint and not a full contingent of five members. Therefore, Olney's due process was not violated, McClusky ruled. The Ethics Board only needed a simple majority "to do business." Olney's attorney asserted that the City Charter required that the Ethics Board be comprised of five members to take any action. Olney has 30 days to appeal the decision. "I'm not disappointed," Olney said. "We did what we had to do." On Sept. 18, 2023, the Ethics Board recommended that the city hold a hearing to determine whether Olney engaged in a pattern of ethics violations and that he should be removed from office. Then-Mayor Jeffrey M. Smith, a political adversary of the councilman, filed the ethics complaint accusing Olney of releasing confidential information, having a conflict of interest and breaching his fiduciary duty involving the city's purchase of the former Watertown Golf Club in January 2023. According to the 13 pages of court papers, Olney alleged dozens of instances when the city was accused of failing to follow due process and give him "a meaningful opportunity to be heard." The lawsuit asked that the Ethics Board's Advisory Opinion be "declared null and void and without effect because of the Due Process violations." Among those arguments, Weisman argued that Olney was not given an opportunity to defend himself throughout the Ethics Board investigation. Hancock Eastabrook attorney John G. Powers defended the city in the lawsuit. Olney has denied any wrongdoing, arguing that the allegations were politically motivated by Smith, often an adversary when the two served on the City Council together. Olney believes that the public "should be aware" that Smith "politically weaponized the government" to attack him. He added that the city could "stack the deck" against him because it had more money to spend on legal bills than he had. Olney raised $15,000 for a legal defense fund to pay for his lawyer and all of that has been spent. The City Council could still proceed with an ethics complaint hearing against Olney to determine whether he violated the city ethics code. If he's found guilty of ethics violations, Olney could be removed from office, be censured or the council could do nothing. Mayor Sarah V.C. Pierce could not be reached for comment.
Yahoo
12-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Recent city council meeting sparks petition to remove council members
An online petition created by a London resident to demand removal of four London City Council members for 'unjust conduct' has garnered over 560 signatures as of press time Tuesday afternoon. Community member Vanessa Miller created the petition following the Feb. 3 city council meeting. The meeting, where arguments between council members and community members ensued, resulted in the removal of two speakers. 'I bore witness to their overt hostility and poor representation of our beloved city, London,' Miller wrote in the description. 'These actions don't merely cast a dark shadow over that particular meeting; they spotlight a significant and recurring problem. We find ourselves questioning the integrity of our local administrative body, concerned about an unjust and non-transparent council whose motives seem to extend beyond the welfare of its citizens.' The petition calls for the removal of council members Kelly Smith-Greene, Anthony Ortega, Judd Weaver, and Justin Young. The list excludes council members Stacy Benge and Holly Little. Miller declined comment to The Sentinel-Echo, saying that she would reach out 'if something changes.' 'We do not want to comment on this item at the current time,' Miller said of herself and a fellow unnamed contributor. The council members are aware of Miller's petition, some giving comment. 'Nothing would ever come of it, I do know that, because it just doesn't work that way,' Young commented, noting concerns that not all of the signers are actual London residents. Ortega made a similar statement, commenting, 'I don't think that that's even how it works.' 'I understand the public's frustration and outrage with the council. Our meetings have devolved into a public spectacle,' said Little. 'I hope moving forward we will maintain a decorum fitting of the office.' Council Member Kelly Greene declined comment. Attempts to contact council members Stacy Benge and Judd Weaver were unsuccessful at press time. 'We do not have, in Kentucky, a recall election petition. Some other states do but Kentucky is not one,' City Attorney Larry Bryson confirmed. However, Bryson shared that the petition could have evidentiary value in a hearing. He continued that, in order for council members to be removed, at least one of the following must occur: — Someone bringing charges against council members in the case of misconduct or willful neglect of their duties — An ethics complaint being brought before the Ethics Board — A complaint being made to the Kentucky Attorney General's office, resulting in an ouster proceeding KRS 83A.040 (9) states, 'Except in cities of the first class, any elected officer, in case of misconduct, incapacity, or willful neglect in the performance of the duties of his or her office, may be removed from office by a unanimous vote of the members of the legislative body exclusive of any member to be removed, who shall not vote in the deliberation of his or her removal. No elected officer shall be removed without having been given the right to a full public hearing.' Though the petition alone cannot remove the council members, several residents are using it as an opportunity to voice their opinions on the matter. The petition can be found at
